Falling in line with persistent speculations over the past couple months, Uber has today announced that it is extending the reach of its on-demand food delivery platform — UberEATS to the fledgling Indian market. The American ride-hailing giant had been cooking up plans for this launch for quite some time but is kicking off the service only with Mumbai at the moment.
Talking about the launch of their food delivery service in India, Bhavik Rathod, Head of UberEats India said:
Mumbai is home to a booming food industry with a vibrant food culture offering both global and local cuisines. The introduction of UberEats in India, with Mumbai as the first city, is a major step in our global expansion and showcases our commitment to the region.
For the initial launch of UberEATS, the company has partnered with more than 200 restaurants in Mumbai. This means the drivers on Uber’s platform will now assist in satisfying your cravings, while also presenting them with flexible earning opportunities. You’ll have the option to order either a late-night snack, post-workout boost, or a nutritious dinner for the whole family with just a tap of a button. Mumbaikars, you can munch of yummy foods seven days a week but only until the restaurants are operational.
UberEATS will start delivering a wide selection of quality eats from places like The Bombay Canteen, Nom Nom, The Good Wife, Fresh Menu, Le 15, Coffee by Di Bella directly to you.
As for the ordering process, you will have to download the standalone UberEATS application from the Google Play Store or iOS App Store. Log in using your existing Uber credentials, input the delivery address and browse for the local restaurant your tummy knows and understands.
Then, place your order conveniently, get updates about the meal in real-time and receive it from the Uber driver partners delivering the package. The ride-hailing giant has extended its partnership with Paytm for the launch of UberEATS as well. It already simplifies your payment needs in the core Uber ride-hailing app, when you have to instantly take a ride and not worry about hard cash.
The UberEATS food delivery platform initially started as a pilot project in Los Angeles in 2014. The company has, however, been expanding its market presence and now operates in 58 countries across the world. It recently made its South-east Asian debut by stepping foot in Singapore about a couple months ago. While the service has only been rolled out in just one Indian city, the ride-hailing giant has already been scouting for city general managers for six other cities — Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Pune, Chennai, and Gurugram — by the end of 2017.
Uber’s food delivery service is the latest entrant in this maturing space in the country — which is of prime focus for the ride-hailing giant after its exit from China. It is competing against homegrown ride-hailing giant Ola Cabs, who also dipped its toes in the famed food delivery ecosystem via Ola Cafe. The service was operational in four Indian cities — Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, and Hyderabad for almost a year. It was shut down the service back in March 2016 and the focus diverted to the rides at the moment.
